Festival of the Arts

Thursday, April 9, 2026

6:00 - 8:00 p.m. Annual Alumni Band Welcome Reception & Rehearsal. Westbrook Auditorium at Presser Hall.

Friday, April 10, 2026

4:30-5:15 p.m. Creative Writing. Memorial Center. Joining their fellow artists in the College of Fine Arts, creative writing majors will present some of their most exceptional work as a lovely introduction to the Festival of the Arts.

5:30-7:50 p.m. Opening Reception. Joyce Eichhorn Ames School of Art and Design Galleries. Join us for cocktails and a warm welcome from President Zenger and J. Kline, Interim Dean of Fine and Performing Arts.

7:30-8:45 p.m. Annual Alumni Band Concert. Westbrook Auditorium at Presser Hall. School of Music alumni from across generations will come to campus for a special concert to celebrate the first night of the festival.

Saturday, April 11, 2026

9:00-11:00 a.m. Presser Hall Room 161. Kick off your day with some fresh coffee and light bites designed to help you wake up, refuel, and spark new ideas. Come as you are and start the morning inspired.

9:30-10:00 a.m. Gamelan. Presser Hall Room 161. Professor Adriana Ponce will employ the School of Music's exceptional collection of our Indonesian Gamelan percussion instruments in an interactive experience - we'll start Saturday with a bang!

10:15-10:45 a.m. Design Thinking. Memorial Center. In a fun and interactive demonstration, Graphic Design Professor, Seulki Seo, will show us how design thinking is employed to reach optimal results in the creative disciplines.

11:00-11:30 a.m. School of Theatre Arts Senior Showcase. Jerome Mirza Theatre at McPherson Hall. Our Musical Theatre seniors will show us why our program is nationally ranked, in excerpts from their Senior Showcase.

11:45 a.m.-12:45 p.m. Celebration Lunch. Joslin Atrium at Memorial Center. Reconnect and reminisce with dear friends over a complimentary festive lunch.

1:00-1:30 p.m. Drawing. Ames Library. Visual Arts Professor, Amy Wilson, will show us that anyone can draw!

1:30-2:30 p.m. School of Art & Design Senior Awards. Joyce Eichhorn Ames School of Art and Design Galleries. Join us for a celebration of our Senior School of Art & Design students. Explore the galleries and be inspired by original art in a variety of mediums.

2:45-3:30 p.m. Sitzprobe. Westbrook Auditorium at Presser Hall. Sit in with the orchestra at the final rehearsal for the School of Music and School of Theatre Arts collaboration. You'll experience what the musicians hear as they fine-tune for the performance.

3:45-4:15 p.m. Student Films. Memorial Center. A taste of some of our most exceptional student films from the past few semesters.

4:45-5:15 p.m. Ingrid & Cody Recital. Memorial Center. Professors Ingrid Kammin and Cody Parrott present a special recital to celebrate the second year of the festival.

5:30-7:15 p.m. Festival of the Arts Dinner & 175th Anniversary Presentation. Joslin Atrium at Memorial Center. Join us for a landmark celebration honoring 175 years of artistic excellence at IWU! Gather with friends over a complimentary dinner, and celebrate the rich legacy and vibrant future of the arts.

7:30-9:30 p.m. Pride and Prejudice. Jerome Mirza Theatre at McPherson Hall. It is a truth universally acknowledged that a single man in possession of a good fortune must be in want of a wife. The Bennet family has five eligible daughters, none of them yet married. When new eligible bachelors come to town, Jane Bennet falls for the quiet Mr. Bingley, while Lizzy Bennet hates moneyed Mr. Darcy... or does she? Join us for a new adaptation of the a Jane Austen classic. Festival of the Arts guests may attend free of charge with event registration. 

9:45-11:00 p.m. Cocktails and Karaoke. E. Melba Johnson Kirkpatrick Laboratory Theatre at McPherson Hall. This is your time to shine. Take the stage, and sing your heart out. 

Sunday, April 12, 2026

9:00-11:00 a.m. Coffee & Curtain Call. Nell Eckley Lounge at Memorial Center. Gather with IWU friends, faculty, staff, and students as we toast the culmination of a weekend filled with inspiration, expression, and imagination.